Process for desulphurizing mineral oils



June 18, 1940l D. s. MCKITTRICK I PROCESS FOR DESULPHURIZING MINERAL OILS Filed Sept. 20,

MaK/#rick Patented .lune 1-8,k

PATENT ol=l=lcrz A v 2,204,903' rnocliss Foa nssrlglualzmo maar.

Donald s. Mexiurleli, oakland, calli., assignmto Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application September 20, 1938, Serial No. 230,809

1': claims. (Criss- 13) This invention relates to the refining treatment of hydrocarbon oils, and has, among other objects, 'the purpose of reducing the sulphur content of low-boiling distillateS, particularly naphthas, gasoline, and cracked or straight-run distillates, although other low 'boiling distillates suchas kerosene, gas oil, and polymerized lowboiling oils may also be desulphurized in accordance with the present process.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 159,234, filed v august 16,1937.'

More specifically, the present process is concerned with the removal of the more refractory sulphur compounds, such as thiophene and its homologues, particularly alkyl thiophenes, from low-boiling disti-llates, but is also effective 4for removingv other'sulphur compounds, such as mercaptans and thioethers. The present invention is especially useful in the treatment lof fractions containing appreciable quantities, i. e., more than about 10% of aromatic hydrocarbons, which it is desired to `retain in the refined distillates, as, for example, in the treatment of gasoline in which aromatic hydrocarbons improve the antiknock characteristics of the fuel, such fractions being dilcult to desulphurize by. the known methods without loss of aromatic hydrocarbons.

It is known to treat sulphur-bearingldistillates with strong mineral acids,v such as sulphuric acid, to remove the sulphur compounds which are partially dissolved in the acid, partially reacted therewith, and partially polymerized, and may be separated from the oil by separating the acid and resulting sludge and redistilling the treated oil. A draw-back of such a process has been that it is diillcult to regenerate the sulphuric acid and to recover the hydrocarbons and sulphur compoundsl from the acid phase. Furthermore, because of the insuillcient selectivity of sulphuric acid, it is -not feasible to employ it as a solvent to extract sulphur compounds,'partic ularly thiophenes`and thioethers, from an oil containingl appreciable quantities of aromatics, it being usually necessary to employ it under conditions causing an appreciable chemical reaction with or a polymerization of the sulphur compounds. This often leads to high lossesgdue polymerlzationoi* unsaturates. It has alsobeen proposed to separate sulphur compounds from hydrocarbonoils by extracting the oil with a polar selective solvent which forms two liquid phases upon being. mixed with the oil and preferentially dissolves tne .su1phur.com

Vpounds (see U'.,S. Patent No. 2,02i,11'1).. A disadvantage of such a process has been that an appreciable quantity of'hydrocarbons especially valuable because of their anti-knock properties is lost together with the sulphur compounds. This is due to the fact that most preferential solI vents are not suillciently selective between sulphur compounds and hydrocarbons, particularly aromatic hydrocarbons,-to eiect the desired separation. It is especially diiiicult to separate the higherboiling thioethers and thiophenes from distillates containing appreciable quantities of laromatic hydrocarbons of similar boiling points, because the distribution ratios `of these sulphur compounds and of those aromatic hydrocarbons between the preferential solvent phase and the oil phase are similarfor most of the selective solvents which come under consideration, certain aromatic hydrocarbons being, in fact, dissolved more readily than higher boiling thioethers.l

It has now been found that these disadvantages are largely overcome and the eiliciency of the desulphurization process is greatly improved by extracting the distillate in the liquid state with an aliphatic sulphonic acid which is liquid at 40 C. The lower acids containing less than four carbon atoms, i. e., methyl, ethyl, propyl and iso-propyl sulphonic acids are preferred. Higher acids and carbon substituted derivatives of such aliphatic sulphonic acids, such as butyl and amyl sulphonic acids, and halogenated aliphatic sulphonic acids may also be employed. The process is preferably carried out at a temperature below 40 C.; temperatures below 5 C. are particularly desirable.

The sulphonic acid extraction may be applied to any sulphur-bearing distillate. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, it is applied to a cut in Awhich sulphur cmpounds have been concentrated, as explained more particularly hereinafter.

It was found that while at elevated temperatures, i. e., abo've 40 C., sulphonic acids act partly in the manner of sulphuric acid, to polymerize unsaturates and sulphur compounds or otherwise 'to reactv with the sulphur compounds, the sul phonic acids here employed differ from sulphuric acid in that at lower temperatures they can be of being liberated from solution by washing with water or a similar substantially oil-immiscible substance. These sulphonic acids were found to act as solvents which are very selective.' 55

not only between hydrocarbons and thiophenes, but also between hydrocarbons and other types of sulphur compounds, notably higher boiling thioethers. A surprising property of these sulphonio acids is that the distribution constants of thioethers are substantially as great and in many cases exceed those of the thiophenes, so that both of these types of sulphur compounds may be separated together from the hydrocarbons in one extraction. These acids, therefore, may also be employed as selective solvents in liquid extractions wherein a sulphur=bearing distillate is contacted with one of these acids or with a mixture thereof under conditions causing the formation of liquid phases in equilibrium with one another. Sulphur compounds, as well as undesirable highly unsaturated gum-forming substances, the'latter undergoing some chemical change, are dissolved` in and are removed with the acid, the rened distillate being insoluble therein. l

The treating agent, according to the present process, essentially comprises the sulphonic acids, either alone in the anhydrous state or diluted with a polar diluent, such as sulphur dioxide,Y

acetic acid, methyl cyanide, a sulphone, such as dimethyl sulphone, or a substantially non-polar inert solvent in which the sulphonic acid is soluble, such as SO2-soluble extract from pressure distillate residues, lubricating oils, etc., preferably boiling above the boiling temperature range of the distillate being desulphurized. The diluent is either substantially inert or, when not inert,

like sulphuric acid, is present in minor proportions. It is preferred to operate in the absence of substantial amounts of sulphuric acid. Dilution of the sulphonic acid is often desirable to suppress the polymerizing action when treating distillates rich in oleiines, such as cracked distillates. In certain cases it is desirable to operate the process at temperatures below the normal freezing point of the sulphonic acid or sulphonic acid mixture; this may be accomplished by employing the acid together with a diluent or other substance which forms a solution therewith having a lower freezing point than the pure acid. Water or a similar very highly polar oil-immiscible substance, if present, should preferably not exceed 5w% of the sulphonic acid, the anhydrous sulphonic being preferred; acid containing up to about 10w% or even more water may, however. be used.

The process, while applicable to all distillates, is particularly useful in connection with distillates which contain little or no olenio hydrocarbons, such as straight-run distillates, or special cuts in which the sulphur compounds have been concentrated, such as highly sulphurous aromatic 'residues obtained by distilling cracked or uncracked dstillates in the presence of a separating agent, which may be a polar preferential solvent for sulphur compounds, as described in my United States Patent No. 2,114,852. In the latter case, the distillate obtained in the distillation in the presence of the preferential solvent, optionally after a light sweetening treatment, may be blended with vthe refined pro'duct produced by desulphurizing the distillation residue in accordance with the present process. Instead of distilling with a separating agent, I may prepare the special cut by extracting the initial material with a preferential solvent for sulphur compounds, as described hereinafter and extract the resulting extract. containing a concentrate of. the sulphur compounds and aromatics, with tbe sulphonic aaeaaos acid. This constitutes the preferred form of the invention.

In the practice of the present invention, the procedure includes the intimate mixing and agitation of the oil or distillate to be desulphurized with sucient sulphonic acid to effect the desired desulphurizatlon to cause the formation of two liquid phases, and the subsequent separation of the oil or raiiinate phase from the acid or extract phase, by settling,` centrifuging in one or in several successive stages, or the like. The sulphonic acid may be separated from the oil phase by Washing in one stage or in several countercurrent stages With a washing agent like water or a similar highly polar substantially oil-immiscible organlc substance, like methyl or ethyl alcohol, glycerol or glycol, their mixtures, or aqueous solutions thereof, about 15 to '75% by volume of the washing agent (based on the phase being washed) being usually suicient, although smaller or larger amounts may be employed. The extraction phase then separates into an oil-rich phase and a sulphonic acid-rich phase. The former is then redistilled, dry or with steam, to separate polymerized substances, if these were formed.- The sulphonic acid may be recovered from the acid or extract phase in a similar manner. The washings or sulphonic acid-rich phases may then be combined and treated by evaporation or distillation, if desired under vacuum, to regenerate the sulphonic acid in any desired degree of concentration, it being preferred to separate all of the washing agent to produce anhydrous or substantially anhydrous sulphonic acid. Alternatively, ol may be separated from the acid dissolved in the raffinate phase by distillation, preferably under vacuum to avoid the use of temperatures which would cause decomposition of the acid and/or reaction of the acid with the oil, it being understood that this mode of separation is applicable inthe case of sulphonic acids which remain liquid during the distilation of the hydrocarbons. The oil may be redistilled in the presence of steam to produce a distillate containing substantially only substances boiling within employed, and upon the degree of desulphurization desired. For example, one volume of a cracked distillate having an A. P. I. gravity of 45 and containing from about 0.5 to 1.0% sulphur may be mixed with about 0.05 to 10 volumes of a substantially anhydrous sulphonic acid at about -10 to 40 C.. agitated for about 1 to 30 minutes or more,V separated from the resulting sludge or acid solvent layer, washed with water, and redistilled, it being understood that these datal are merely exemplary, and are not intended to restrict the scope of the invention. As is apparent from Example I, when conditions of contact time and composition of the oil favor chemicalchanges, small quantities of acid are employed, with the formation of a sludge; while in the case ofa treatment such as in Example IH, wherein little chemical changes are involved, greater quantities of acid are employed.

0f various forms of practicing my invention, I prefer to employ the sulphonic acid as a preferential solvent in a countercurrent extraction operation; this may involve a double countercurrent process employing a second or auxiliary solvent aaoacos the sulphonic acid, although batch treatments, with or without an auxiliary solvent, `may b e used.. This type of process is illustrated in the single figure of the accompanying drawing, which is a l over 5% water and may be anhydrous, or its solution with another substance, such' as one of the sulphonic acid-miscible diluents described above, or a mixtureof several aliphatic sulphonic acids, is introduced at 3 to -one end of the rectifying section I. tially non-miscible with the solution of sulphur compounds in the sulphonic acid solvent under extracting conditions and is a solvent for the hydrocarbons and which preferably boils wellv outside ofthe boiling temperature range of the distillate 4to be desulphurized may be fed to one end of the stripping section 2 at 4. Any solvent which is non-polar or approximately non-polar f may be employed for this. purpose. The ratio of the sulphonic acid-containing solvent to the aux-v iliary solvent may be varied within wide limits, and may, for example, be one volume of sulphonic acid solvent to between about 0.25 and 6 volumes A of auxiliary solvent. One of the important funcsharply diminishes when the concentration of polymerizable hydrocarbons in the oil-diluent solution resulting in the extraction zone, .determined as oleflnes, is reduced below 30%. highly paraiinic solvent, such as naphtha, isovoctane, and iso-pentane which boil below the boiling range, or highly rened white oil, which boils above the boiling range of the distillate to be desulphurized is lpreferred as the non-polar solvent, being only sparingly miscible with the sulphonic acid and inert with respect thereto,

although any' low or moderately low-boiling,

parainic or naphthenic hydrocarbon or mixtures thereof. are alsosuitable. In the extraction zone ramnate and extract phases orlayers (consisting predominantly of the auxiliary or non-polar solvent and `of the sulphonic acid or polar solvent, respectively) are formed and flow countercurrently to one' another, the raiiinate phase from the stripping section 2 flowing into the rectifying section I, and the extract phase from the rectifying section Lilowing intothe stripping section 2. l

The sulphur-bearing oil distillate, is rintroduced at 5, and fed intothe counterflowing solvents at 6, intermediate to the points of introduction of the solvents., It was found that the best results are obtained when the distillate is introduced at such a rate as to be present in the extraction zone in a concentration of less than about 15%. Economies in distillation are in this case effected by employing an auxiliary solvent boiling above the distillate being treated, such as white oil, it being then only necessary to distill the treated oil from the rainate phase. 'Ille present inven- An auxiliary solvent which is essention is not, however, limited to operations at such low concentrations, but includes operations involving relatively high oil to solvent ratios such as 1 to 1.

The temperature is regulated in the extraction zone'A to produce an ultimate extract phase, withdrawn at 1, largely free from'hydrocarbons, containing the sulphonic acid Asolvent and dissolved sulphur compounds. It may be washed by agitating it with a substantially oil-immiscible solvent such as water or aqueous methyl or ethylH alcohol, etc.; introduced at 8 and separating the -resulting aqueous solvent phase from the phase containing the sulphur compounds `in the settler 9, the former being withdrawn at I and introduced into the distilling column II, wherein the sul- -phonic acid is completely or partially dehydrated.

by vacuum distillation. 'I'he regenerated sulphonic solvent is withdrawn at I2; it maybe reintroduced into the process at 3 via line I2a. The water distilled off at I3 may be condensed, cooled and reintroduced at 8 and I8, thereby obviating the need of precise fractionating methods and avoiding loss of acid. v'I'l'ie water-immiscible phase may be steam distilled in the column I4, sulphur compounds and steam being taken overhead at I5 and impurities and polymers being concentrated in the bottom product being withdrawn at I6. When an auxiliary solven-t is employed, it may be separated from the sulphur compounds either prior to distillation in the column I4, or subsequently thereto; when .a

high boilingauxiliary solvent, such as white oil, .is employed, it may be recovered in the bottom product at I6.

The railinate phase containing most of the auxiliary solvent, -if used, and consisting predominantly of auxiliary solvent and desulphurized hydrocarbons, but containing usually a. small quantity of the sulphonic acid, is withdrawn at I1 and similarly washed by means of water or a similar substance introduced at I8 to form oil and solvent layers which are separated in the settler I9. The solvent phase withdrawn at 20, may be combinedwith the solvent phase from vthe settler 8. The water-immiscible oil layer, which is free from sulphonic acid, may be steam distilled in the column 2|, wherein the auxiliary solvent is separated from the sulphurized oil. For example, when a high boiling auxiliary solvent, like white oil, is employed, it is withdrawn at 22 as a bottom product, the desulphurized oil being taken oil at 23. Polymerized substances may be withdrawn in the bottoms, or, if desired, a sidestripper 28 may be employed to isolate these substances. The final desulphurized oil may, if desired, be further contacted with clay.

Insteadof washing the extraction phases with water, they may be' directly distilled to segregate the solvents and the solutes. The oil introduced at 5 may-be an untreated distillate or one which has received a light treatment, such as a caustic soda Wash, or 'it may be a special cut such as a distillation residue containing a small proportion of the initial olenes, particularly the mono-olelnes, and most of the sulphur compounds obtained by distilling alight distillate in the presence of a selective Solvent, as described in the United States Patent No. 2,114,852. I prefer, however, 'to prepare the special cut by subjecting the initial distillate to a preliminary extraction treatment. For this purpose the initial distillate is introduced into an extraction zone B comprising a rectifying section 25 and a stripping" section 2G at an interoleiines.

vmediate point 21.

This extraction zone may be similar to the extraction zoneA. The preferential solvent for sulphur compounds is introduced near one end of the rectifying section at 28 and an auxiliary solvent for hydrocarbons, at least partially immiscible with the selective solvent, such as pentane, iso-octane, light naphtha, highly rened White oil and the like, is introduced at 29. In general, solvents which are suitable for extracting aromatic hydrocarbons from paraffin hydrocarbons may be employed as preferential solvents at 28. The following 'solvents were found to be especially suitable for this purpose: a mixture of equal parts of sulphur dioxide and acetone, thiophene, aldehyde, methyl cyanide, ethyl cyanide, ethyl cyanoacetate, nitroaniline, aniline, ethylene diamine, liquid sulphur dioxide, methoxy methyl cyanide, methyl carbitol, vand their mixtures. Solvents which are too miscible with the distillates may be diluted with Water or a similar highly polar oxygenated aliphatic compound, light methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, acetone, or their aqueous solutions.

The rates of ow of materials and the temperature are regulated to produce counterflowing raiiinate and extract phases which are withdrawn at 30 and 3i, respectively, the latter containing substantially all of the sulphur compounds and preferably as small a proportion of the mono-olefines as is consistent with the requirement that the suphur compounds be substantially all recovered in the extract phase. Under these conditions most of the aromatics and highly unsaturated substances like di-oleiines will be concentrated in the extract phase, together with the sulphur compounds, and substantially all of the parafiines and naphthenes will be in the raffinate phase, together with the mono- The concentration of the olenes in the extract phase may be lower than, the same as, or even higher than in the initial distillate, the only requirement being that the ratio of mono-olefines to sulphur compounds be materially less in the extractphase than in the initial distillate. The extract phase may, for example, contain between about 15 and 40w% (percent by weight) of the initial distillate, depending upon its composition although the process is not limy ited to such a range. As a specicexample, a cracked gasoline friction boiling between 150 and 200 C., containing 13w% aromatics and 1.2w% sulphur, and approximately equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated ,aliphatic hydrocarbons, may beV extracted to produce an extract amounting to 20w% of the initial distillate, the

extract containing about 55w% aromatics, 5w%

sulphur (corresponding approximately to 19w% sulphur compounds), about 15 to 20w% monooleiines, the balance being dioleiines, naphthenes and paraiiines. Such an extract would contain only about 10 to l5w% of the total monoolenes.

- The extract phase may be treated in the separating stage 32 to separate the solvents in any suitable manner as by distillation or washing. The solvent free portion of the extract phase, which constitutes the special cut according to the preferred embodiment is introduced into the extraction zone A at 6.

The railinate phase from 2| is similarly freed from solvents in the separating stage 33, the desulphurized portion of the distillate being withdrawn after 34. This oil may, if desired, be owed through a valve 35 and given alight sweetening treatment in the unit 35 by any suitable Example I Separate samples of a cracker gasoline of 45 A. P. I. gravity containing 0.74w% (percent by weight) of sulphur were mixed with 10% and 15% by volume, respectively, of methyl sulphonic acid, agitated at 0 C. for 2 minutes and 5 minutesres`pectively, settled for 5 minutes, and the oil layer decanted from the acid extract layer. Which-contained sludge. The oil was repeatedly washed with water and steam distilled. For comparison, another portion of the gasoline was agitated at 0 C. with 5% by volume of 66 B. sulphuric acid, agitated for 5 minutes and settled for 5 minutes, and similarly decanted, washed, and redistilled. Another sample was similarly steam distilled Without treatment with acid. The results are tabulated in the following table:

Methyl Melbyl Sulphurlc Treating agent sulphonic sulphonic acid None acid acid 66 B.

Volume of treating agent,

percentage of oil vo ume percent.. l0 l5 2 0 Time o! mixing. .minutes 2 5 Time olsettling do 5 l 5 5 Properties oi treated oil before steam distillation:

Yield by volume l percent.. 98 96.6 97.7 100 Sulphur content i percent by weight.. .59 .55 .64 .74 Percentage sulphur re duction percent.- 19. 6 18. 5 l2 4 0 Properties of treated oil after steam distillation:

Yield by volume percent 97.6 96.2 97.1 90.3 Sulphur content percentb weight.- .55 .5l .63 .71

Percentage su pbur rcduction peroent.- 25. 4 30. 0 13. 7 3. 0

It will be noted that yield in the sulphuric acid run was intermediate to the two treatments with methyl sulphonic acid, and that the percentage reduction of sulphur was considerably greater in the treatments involving methyl sulphonic acid..

Example II 'I'he gasoline fraction described in Example I boiling above 150 C. was extracted at 20 C. in a continuous double countercurrent extraction apparatus comprising mixing and settling stages, consisting of 3 stages in the rectifying section and 3 stages in the stripping section, connected as shown on the drawing. The apparatus was operated continuously, employing aqueous 971/295 methyl sulphonic acid as the polar solvent and iso-octane as the non-polar solvent. The rates of introduction in volumes per minute were as follows: gasoline, 7; polar solvent, 13A; nonpolar solvent, 1%'. The rafnate was washed with water and steam distilled to produce a desulpliurized distillate having a sulphur content of .10w%, amounting to byvolume of the initial oil, corresponding to a reduction in sulphur of 86.5%.

Example III 100 parts by weight of a (cracked) pressure distillate cut boiling between and 200 C. containing 1.1w% sulphur was extracted in double counter-current with liquid SO: and lsooctane in the apparatus described in Example Cil `l1, producing 80 parts of an SO2-ranate con- 75 taining .2w% sulphur, and 20 parts of a S02 extract, containing 4.4w% sulphur. The SO2 extract was subjected to two batch extractions, each time with four parts by volume (based on the material being extracted) of isopentane andten parts by volume of anhydrous methyl sulphonic acid, containing about 10w% ethyl sulphonic acid, at 0 C. The acid was separated from the three phases by washing out with water, followed by steam distillation, resulting 'in the following distillates: 2.2 partsv of a rst acid extract containing 14.2w% sulphur (equivalent to about 53w% sulphur compounds); 1.1 parts of a second acid extract containing 6.9w% sulphur;

vand 12.2 parts of a ramnate containing l.2w%

sulphur. About 4.5 parts were separated as polymers and reaction products in the distillation. Ablend of the two raiiin'ates represents 92.2% of the initial ldistillate and contains about 0.3w% sulphur.

Example IV To demonstrate the selectivity of these sul- I l phonic acids, one volume of a synthetic composition consisting of trimethylA thiophene, trimethyl benzene, and triisobutylene was mixed -with one and one half volumes of the acid solvent employed in Example III, at 0 C.. agitated for one minute, lthe resulting mixture was allowed to settle for 40 minutes, and the resulting layers were separated. One volume of the oil layer was again contacted under the lsame conditions with one and one half volumes of the fresh solvent, forming second phases. 'I'he acid was separated from the several" phases as in Example III. r The yields and compositions of the products were as follows:

Solute Salute Solvent-flee Comgosltions, parts Original in iirst in second portion of y volume mixture extract extract second rali layer layer rinata layer Trimethyl thiophene. 25 12 5 Trimethyl benzene. 57 5 3 47 Tri-isobutylene 18 0 0 16 10o 11 1o 71 Ratlo oi trimethylv benzene to trimethyl thlophenle 2. 3 0. 42 0. 43 9. 4

. aliphatic sulphonic acid containing not vover ilve carbon atoms and which is liquid at 40 C.,under conditions causing the formation of a sulphonic acid phase containing absorbed sulphur compounds and a liquid oil phase, and separatingthe sulphonic acid phase from theliquid oil phase.

2. 'I'he `process according to claimy 1 inl which the separated oill phase is freed from the sulphonic acid and then distilled to produce a distillate containing. substantially only substances #boiling within the boiling temperature range of the original oil. s v

3. The process according to claim 1 which comprises the further steps of washing one of the said phases with a. substantiallyoil-immiscible In this work losses due to washing agent oi the class consisting of'water,

methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, glycol and glycerol to produce a liquid phase containing constituents ofthe oil and a dilute sulphonic acid liquor phase, separating said phassyconcentrating'thc sulphonic acid by vaporizationof the washing agent from the sulphonic acid liquor phase and recycling the concentrated sulphonic acid to the step of contacting further oil to be desulphurized. 4. The process according to claim l-in which the sulphonic acid contains less than four carbon atoms.

5.1The lprocess according to claim l in which the' sulphonic acid' is predominantly methyl sulphonic acid. y

6. 'Ihe process according to claim 1 in which the sulphonic acidl is predominantly ethyl sulphonic acid. I

7.. The process according to vclaim 1 in which the mineral oil is contacted with thev sulphonic acid together with a quantity of an oil-miscible diluent sumcient to cause the concentration ofv oleiines in the oil-diluent solution to be less than 8. 'I'he process according to claim 1 in which the sulphonic acidis employed together with a diluent which is miscible with the sulphonic acid and substantially immisclbie with the oil.

9. The process for desulphurizing a sulphurcontaining mineral oil boiling substantially within gasoline range and containing more than about f 10% of aromatic hydrocarbons, comprising the steps of contacting said oil in the liquid state at a temperature not substantially above 40 C. with a quantity of a solvent essentially comprising an aliphatic sulphonic acid containing not over iive carbon atoms and which is liquid at 40 C., said quantity being sumcientfor the formation of a liquid sulphonic acid phase containing absorbed sulphur compounds and a liquid Aoil phase, and separating the resulting liquid sulphonic acid phase from the liquid oil phase.

10. 'I'he process for desulphurizing sulphurcontaininglow-boiling mineral oil comprising the steps of counterowing a solvent essentially comprising an aliphaticsulphonic acid containing not over ve carbon atoms and which is liquid at 40 C., and a solvent which is miscible with the oil and substantially immisclbie with the sulphonic acid solvent in an extraction zone, at a temperature not substantially above 40 C., under conditions to form counterowing extract and railinate phases, introducing the oil into the extraction zone at a point intermediate the points of .introduction oi the sulphonic acid and the oil-miscible solvent, whereby sulphur compounds are absorbed in the extract phase and withdrawing extract and ramnate phases at ,diiierent points from the extraction zone.

11. The process for desulphurizing sulphurcontaining low-boiling mineral oil comprising the steps of counterowing a solvent essentially comprising an aliphatic sulphonic acid which is liquid at 40 C., containing less than four carbon atoms and a solvent which is miscible with the oil and substantially immisclbie with the sulphonic acid in an extraction zone, at al temperature not substantially above 40 C., under conditions to formcounterowing extract and rainate phases, introducing the oil into the extraction zone at a point intermediate the points of introduction of the sulphonic acid and the oil-misciblesolvent,

whereby sulphur compounds are absorbed in the extract phase withdrawing extractand railinate phases at diiIerent points from the extraction zone, contacting the ranate phase with a :substantially oil-immiscible washing agent of the class consisting of water, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, glycol and glycerol thereby forming a liquid oil phase and a diluted acid liquor phase, and separating said phases one from the other.

12. The process for desulphurizing sulphurcontaining low-boiling mineral oil comprising the steps of counterowing a solvent essentially coniprising an aliphatic sulphonic acid which is liquid at 40 C. containing less than four carbon atoms and a said oil in an extraction zone, at a temperature not substantially above 40"` C., under conditions to form counterfiowing extract and ranate phases, said extract phase containing absorbed sulphur compounds, withdrawing extract and rainate phases at diierent points from the extraction zone, contacting the raiilnate phase with a substantially oil-immiscible washing agent of the class consisting of water, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, glycol and glycerol, thereby forming a liquid oil phase and a diluted acid liquor phase, separating said phases one from the other, and distilling the separated oil phase to recover the desulphurized chemically unchanged low-boiling mineral oil as a distillate and the polymerized constituents as a distillation residue.

13. The process 'for desulphurizing sulphurcontaining low-boiling mineral oil comprising the steps of extracting said oil with a selective solvent for sulphur compounds to produce an oil ramnate and an extract in which the sulphur compounds are concentrated, separating said raffinate and extract, contacting said extract in the liquid state at s. temperature not substantially above i C. with a refining agent essentially coniprisingan aliphatic sulphonic acid containing not over iive carbon atoms and which is liquid at a0 C., under conditions causing the formation of a sulphonic acid phase containing absorbed sulphur compounds and a liquid oil phase, and separating the sulphonic acid phase from the liquid oil phase.

14. The process for desulphurizing low-boiling mineral oil containing sulphur compounds and mono-olenes comprising the steps of separating said oil into a first cut having a higher ratio of sulphur compounds to mono-olefines and a sec'- ond cut having a lower ratio of sulphur compounds to mono-olefines than the original oil, contacting the first cut in the liquid state at a temperature not substantially above 40 C. with a quantity of a solvent essentially comprising an aliphatic sulphonic acid containing not over ve carbon atoms and which is liquid at 40 C., said quantity being sufiicient to cause the formation of a liquid oil phase and a liquid solvent phase containing absorbed sulphur compounds, and separating the resulting liquid sulphonic acid phase from the liquid-oil phase;

15. The process according to claim 14 in which the oil is separated into said first and second cuts by distilling the initial oil in the presence of e. preferential solvent for sulphur compounds under conditions to distil said second cut overhead and recover said iirst cut as a. distillation residue.

16. The process according to claim 14 in which the oil is separated into said rst and second cuts by extracting the initial oil with a selective solvent. for sulphur compounds to produce an oil rainate containing said second cut and arr extract containing said rst cut.

17. The process according to claim 14 in which the second cut is blended with the oil in the liquid oil phase.

DONALD S. MCKI'ITRICK 

